Cover Reveal: The Sound of Letting Go (and Giveaway!)

I'm pleased to be taking part in the cover reveal for Stasia Ward Kehoe's novel, The Sound of Letting Go! First, here's the book summary:

"For sixteen years, Daisy has been good.  A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly.  A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad.  She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal.  Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy?  Should she side with her parents or protect her brother?  How do you know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?"

You can find Stasia on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/swkehoe
 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Stasia-Ward-Kehoe/480528638649616

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/125253.Stasia_Ward_Kehoe

Her blog: http://swardkehoe.blogspot.com

And now for the cover...

What do you guys think?

Plus, Stasia is hosting a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Come See About Me: A Snapshot

Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin

"Twenty-year-old Leah Fischer's been in a state of collapse since the moment police arrived on her Toronto doorstep to inform her that boyfriend Bastien was killed in a car accident. After flunking out of university and cutting herself off from nearly everyone she knows, Leah's saved by Bastien's aunt who offers her a rent-free place to stay in a nearby suburban town.

Initially Leah keeps to herself, with no energy for anyone or anything else, but it's not long before her nurturing neighbours begin to become fixtures in Leah's life and a much needed part-time job forces her to interact with other members of the community. And when Leah is faced with another earth-shattering event, her perspective on life begins to shift again. Soon Leah's falling into a casual sexual relationship with Irish actor Liam Kellehan, who has troubles of his own, even as she continues to yearn for her dead boyfriend. Clearly she's not the person she thought she was—and maybe Liam isn't either." (from Goodreads)

The subject: a 20-year-old girl dealing with the aftermath of the death of her boyfriend.

The setting: primarily the small town of Oakville, Ontario (yay for a Canadian setting! It's nice to actually get a lot of the references for once.)

Shutter speed: a snail's pace. Unfortunately, this book really dragged for me (admittedly I was in a bit of a reading slump, which probably didn't help matters). Perhaps the author wanted to keep the realism factor high, but most of what Leah discusses is very typical, day-to-day kind of stuff. Can I relate to having to go to the dentist or the supermarket? Sure. Do I want to read about it? ...Not really.  

What's in the background? Some true-to-life personal insights about things like grief and connecting to others. I think C.K. Kelly Martin nailed it in terms of highlighting these nuggets of truth without being patronizing.

Zoom in on: Leah's friendships (aside from Liam) and interactions with her parents. 

Also, it would've been nice to have some more humor (provided by side characters, if not Leah) since the tone of the story weighs quite heavily towards the serious, depressing end of the spectrum. 

Anything out of focus? The relationship between Leah and Liam. Their no-strings-attached, friends-with-benefits "understanding" made this less about romance and more about sex. I like a good dollop of romance, so I just didn't find their relationship swoonworthy. I also took issue with some of the decisions Leah made regarding Liam (spoilers, highlight to read: I'm sorry, but having unprotected sex with a virtual stranger, Leah? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???)

Ready? Say... slooooooow.

Click! 2.5 shooting stars. I liked the premise more in theory than in actual execution, so ultimately this was kind of a take-it-or-leave-it book for me.

Note: there is some mature content (including explicit sex scenes) and language in here, so this is definitely not a book for younger readers.

Disclaimer: I received this as an e-book for review from the author.  

This book counts towards my goal for the "New Adult" challenge.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Kingdom of Little Wounds

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and features books that we just can't wait to get our hands on!

My WoW pick this week is:

The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal

Goodreads' description:

"A young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut.

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion.

Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem — and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can."

First, I will let you take a moment to drink in that amazing cover.

Second, how awesome is that title?!

And third, a power struggle set against the historical backdrop of a Scandinavian city, complete with a seamstress, a mute nursemaid and a mad queen? YES PLEASE.  

What books are you waiting for?

May "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

That's right, time again for participants in the "New Adult" reading challenge to share their NA reviews! If you have reviews from May, here's your chance to link them up. And if you have not yet signed up for the NA Challenge but want to participate, don't stress: you can still sign up here :)

The Book Lode (16)

 

There are quite a few memes to choose from now for showing the books we've gotten recently, so I thought to be fair I'd link my posts up to a different meme each month. I'm grouping the posts under the name "The Book Lode," and this month I'm linking up to The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.


For review:

Farthing by Jo Walton (adult)
Fractured by Teri Terry
Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones
Reaper's Legacy by Tim Lebbon
Never by K.D. McEntire

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Hachette Children's Books UK, and PYR Books!

Bought:

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Gifted:

The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging, and Postponing by John Perry (non-fiction)

Thanks to my mom for this one! :D